


Hall Pass

by Jhonni



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, possibly dubious consent if i'm being cautious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 15:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13414287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jhonni/pseuds/Jhonni





	Hall Pass

“I’m not -” 

Struck silent by what he’s about to say, Will exhales. His head spins, throbbing worse than any hangover. Desperate for an anchor, he scans the room. Dark but for the glow of a dying fire. Music plays from some invisible source. A weight in his hand draws his eyes down to a crystal tumbler. 

Hannibal is beside him. Not quite staring. More like looming. 

Slowly the pieces notch. The police delivering him to Hannibal’s door. Hannibal being the good friend who couldn’t possibly let him leave without making sure he was alright. A drink was offered. Maybe two. They were talking about … everything. They were talking about -- 

Will’s heart thuds. The details flit by too quickly for more than a glimpse. The pattern they make spreads over his skin, creeping spider-like.

Hannibal leans in with his voice. "You were saying." 

The sparkle in Hannibal’s eyes brings a flash of clarity. “You know what I mean,” Will snaps. 

A smile bends Hannibal’s features. Slow, deliberate. Infuriating. "I do know what you mean. It's interesting you can't say it."

"I can say it." Will sets his glass down roughly. Fuck the fancy table.

Hannibal shifts to settle in. "Please do.” 

At that moment, Will wants nothing more than to knock his teeth out. "For fuck's sake. I'm not gay. There. I said it."

Hannibal’s smile grows a fraction. "You're not insane either and yet you managed to sleepwalk and end up here. At my home."

A groan drops Will’s head back. "You're the one who said I wasn't insane."

"Indeed. So that we might proceed unfettered by paperwork. Or labels."

Closing his eyes, Will tries to imagine himself anywhere else. "If this is your way of sweet talking me, you're missing the mark. Not insane isn’t exactly a compliment." 

He sighs as Hannibal reaches to refill a glass. Apparently, he’s planning to make this a long talk. 

"I'm simply saying that labels can be set aside."

Will’s frustration erupts, sharp tongued. "You want to give me a hall pass to be gay?"

Hannibal considers a moment, musing on the possibility. "Why not?"

"Why would I want that?"

"Will, I see the how you look at me."

Will thought he’d seen Hannibal at maximum smugness before. Apparently not. Fighting the urge to reach for a drink, he lets out a dramatic sigh. “You flatter yourself." 

Hannibal nods. "Often. And yet that's not a denial. We can call it curiosity if that's more comfortable for you."

Will barely manages to stifle a laugh. “You think I'm curious?"

Hannibal’s smile fades, replaced by a wistful look as he studies Will’s face. “I do.” 

Will blinks but says nothing. He made his way to Hannibal’s in a fog. Now Hannibal was trying to take advantage of his … whatever the hell is wrong with his brain. He should be furious. And yet.

Hannibal tilts his head, drawing Will back from faraway. “I’m curious as well.”

The earnestness in his words draws tight across Will’s chest. His mind races to home and back. He isn’t even supposed to be here. 

_This isn’t happening. This is some fucked up fever dream._

It’s a lie and he knows it. The episode has passed. He could leave anytime. Still, something like courage, or maybe recklessness, holds him in place. "I wouldn't even know what to do.”

Hannibal breathes out, soft. "Perhaps you could just think of one thing you'd like to do. What would you do with your hall pass, Will?"

Will lowers his eyes to where his hands rest on his lap, silencing the noise in his brain. His voice is small when he finally speaks. "Kiss you."

"Oh." 

It feels like a punch. Will can’t bear to look up. "See. You’re disappointed. I told you I have no idea what I'm doing."

Shaking his head, Hannibal lays a hand on Will’s arm. "I'm not disappointed. I'm ... surprised."

Will’s eyes find his, searching. His mouth goes dry. "Why?"

The pause that follows is painful. Watching Hannibal struggle for words. "I would think most men in your position would choose something more … something less …” He swallows, as if bracing himself. “Kissing is very personal."

Warmth floods through Will’s veins. "Is it?” 

Nodding once, Hannibal’s eyes drift to Will’s lips. "Very much so."

A blanket slips from Will’s lap as he inches close. “Does that mean you don’t want to kiss me?”

“No,” Hannibal’s breath falls soft on his lips. “That’s not at all what it means.”


End file.
